One of the most holy of rites within the profession of teaching is the annual retirement party. It is a time which brings everyone together to celebrate a person and their life's work.
Whenever I am at a retirement party I cannot help but attempt to imagine my own retirement party. Who will be celebrating me and my life's work? Life's work? What a heady concept. I try to imagine myself in the front of that room. What will I be thinking? How will I look back on my life? Did I make the right choice? Will I be proud of my accomplishments? Every retirement party I think these thoughts and everytime I reach the same conclusion. YES, I have made the right choice for my profession. YES, I can look back on my life's work with pride.
How can I make such a grandiose claim? How could I possibly know what I will be thinking 30 to 40 years from now? I will be able to honestly say to myself, 'you did not take the easy road instead you chose the harder path'. And I can feel pride in that fact. 'Everyday you were challenged and every day you sought to overcome obstacles. You didn't suceed every hour of every day, but you did not allow momentary failures to destroy you. Like a good scientist you used what you learned to create a new experiment and marched back into the fray.' And I can feel pride in that fact. 'No you did not become a wealthy CEO or powerful politician capable of affecting countless lives with the flick of a pen. But you became a teacher who affected individual lives (with faces and names and dreams and desires) everyday.' And I can feel pride is that. [more?]
Concrete objectives: teach in the inner city, teach physics, hands on/ inquiry based, National board certification, Masters in Physics, Highly qualified, participant in professional development, participant in peer exercises (within my discipline), Ph'd in Physics or Philosophy, adjunct professor of physics, tutor
Abstract objectives: Mastery of my choosen field, Empowerment of the individual through the process of learning, Citizens of a technological society need to have a fundamental understanding of science, Deep thinkers as opposed to rote learners, Ask for proof, Problem Solvers.
Student Discipline: Love and Logic
[2. By What Means?]
Learning Theory:
Cognitive Development:
Curriculum Design: Unpacking GSEs, Unit Planning [specific strategies?]
[Tie these to objectives and explain why/how]
[Discuss how you make decisions about content, resources, and methods. If you include a field trip, what are your learning objectives? If you assemble a collection of readings, how did you decide what to include? How do you decide whether to use collaborative or individual projects? Do you use active learning or student-centered learning principles and why? Relate these decisions and methods to the kinds of classes you teach (large lecture, small discussion, lab, etc.) and make connections to your course objectives.
the theoretical underpinnings of your belief system and how your belief system affects decisions
such as materials selection, teaching strategies, and classroom management]
[3. To What Degree?]
[a description of what you actually do in the classroom, why doing things that way benefits
your students, and how you know when teaching strategies are working well]
You will need to discuss how you intend to measure your effectiveness vis a vis the objectives and methods you have outlined. Because your objectives are most likely related to student learning, then you will probably use measures of student outcomes to reflect your efforts rather than how many chapters you can cover from the textbook. Student evaluations are always a touchy subject among teachers but in large part that is because teachers have not devised their own assessment methods. Most of us are obligated to use standardized evaluation forms. But that does not prevent us from developing other means that are more directly related to our specific goals and objectives. Teachers who develop their own evaluations usually get more relevant feedback. But in addition, they usually get more positive feedback as well because they are asking the students to reflect on the most important aspects of the course.
If one of your objectives is to develop problem-solving skills, then you will probably want to test your students' ability to solve problems. In that case, discuss how you construct problems for them to solve, what skills those problems are meant to evaluate, and the level of performance that you are seeking. As Ronald Myers, Associate Professor in Veterinary Pathology pointed out in his teaching portfolio: I have come to realize that ultimately students learn what we examine for. If we test for learning of facts, students will learn facts. If we test for problem solving, they will learn to be better problem solvers....My long-term goal is to learn more about and then to implement improved mechanisms for assessment of students, likely in the realm of ability-based or performance-based assessment. There are many resources for improving assessment and student evaluations in the CTE library.
4. Why?
Here is where you can be, if not grandiose, at least a bit grand. What, to you, are the great and wonderful rewards of teaching? Why is teaching important? How do you want to make the world or at least higher education better? When you are overworked and feel undervalued, to what ideals do you return in order to rejuvenate yourself and inspire your students? How do you want to make a difference in the lives of your students?
Possible Teaching Philosophy Components
¥ the teacherÕs role & responsibilities
¥ studentsÕ role & responsibilities
¥ the balance of learning and use
¥ teaching and learning in general
¥ content (what it is youÕre teaching)
¥ meaningfulness (drawing on students ideas, interests and concerns)
¥ speaking to studentsÕ needs
¥ classroom dynamics and class atmosphere
¥ affective and emotional components
¥ evaluation (and placement testing?)
¥ being flexible (working within the needs and constraints of the institution, the students, and
your beliefs as a teacher)
¥ theory and practice
¥ the classroom as a learning environment for all
¥ learning styles
¥ teacher awareness, reflection, and development
¥ discipline
¥ rapport
¥ motivation
¥ ideal vs. reality (working within the constraints of the institution where you teach)
¥ reflective practice
¥ collaborating with other teachers (sharing and developing ideas)
¥ motivation
¥ ideal vs. reality (working within the constraints of the institution where you teach)
¥ reflective practice
¥ collaborating with other teachers (sharing and developing ideas)
Move students away from a fear of challenge and towards a savoring of challenge.
Learning is a process of self-overcoming. Empowerment of the individual.
Riddles are an amazing tool for this. Riddles are an unescapable challenge but one in which student have no fear of failure.
Physics is one big riddle.
What do my actions model for my students?
Does my classroom management foster this type of environment? -> love and logic
Does my grading policy reflect this belief? -> point based
Teaching Rationale - Paul Jennings
DRAFT 9/14[To What End?]
One of the most holy of rites within the profession of teaching is the annual retirement party. It is a time which brings everyone together to celebrate a person and their life's work.Whenever I am at a retirement party I cannot help but attempt to imagine my own retirement party. Who will be celebrating me and my life's work? Life's work? What a heady concept. I try to imagine myself in the front of that room. What will I be thinking? How will I look back on my life? Did I make the right choice? Will I be proud of my accomplishments? Every retirement party I think these thoughts and everytime I reach the same conclusion. YES, I have made the right choice for my profession. YES, I can look back on my life's work with pride.
How can I make such a grandiose claim? How could I possibly know what I will be thinking 30 to 40 years from now? I will be able to honestly say to myself, 'you did not take the easy road instead you chose the harder path'. And I can feel pride in that fact. 'Everyday you were challenged and every day you sought to overcome obstacles. You didn't suceed every hour of every day, but you did not allow momentary failures to destroy you. Like a good scientist you used what you learned to create a new experiment and marched back into the fray.' And I can feel pride in that fact. 'No you did not become a wealthy CEO or powerful politician capable of affecting countless lives with the flick of a pen. But you became a teacher who affected individual lives (with faces and names and dreams and desires) everyday.' And I can feel pride is that. [more?]
Concrete objectives: teach in the inner city, teach physics, hands on/ inquiry based, National board certification, Masters in Physics, Highly qualified, participant in professional development, participant in peer exercises (within my discipline), Ph'd in Physics or Philosophy, adjunct professor of physics, tutor
Abstract objectives: Mastery of my choosen field, Empowerment of the individual through the process of learning, Citizens of a technological society need to have a fundamental understanding of science, Deep thinkers as opposed to rote learners, Ask for proof, Problem Solvers.
Student Discipline: Love and Logic
[2. By What Means?]
Learning Theory:
Cognitive Development:
Curriculum Design: Unpacking GSEs, Unit Planning [specific strategies?]
[Tie these to objectives and explain why/how]
[Discuss how you make decisions about content, resources, and methods. If you include a field trip, what are your learning objectives? If you assemble a collection of readings, how did you decide what to include? How do you decide whether to use collaborative or individual projects? Do you use active learning or student-centered learning principles and why? Relate these decisions and methods to the kinds of classes you teach (large lecture, small discussion, lab, etc.) and make connections to your course objectives.
the theoretical underpinnings of your belief system and how your belief system affects decisions
such as materials selection, teaching strategies, and classroom management]
[3. To What Degree?]
[a description of what you actually do in the classroom, why doing things that way benefitsyour students, and how you know when teaching strategies are working well]
You will need to discuss how you intend to measure your effectiveness vis a vis the objectives and methods you have outlined. Because your objectives are most likely related to student learning, then you will probably use measures of student outcomes to reflect your efforts rather than how many chapters you can cover from the textbook. Student evaluations are always a touchy subject among teachers but in large part that is because teachers have not devised their own assessment methods. Most of us are obligated to use standardized evaluation forms. But that does not prevent us from developing other means that are more directly related to our specific goals and objectives. Teachers who develop their own evaluations usually get more relevant feedback. But in addition, they usually get more positive feedback as well because they are asking the students to reflect on the most important aspects of the course.
If one of your objectives is to develop problem-solving skills, then you will probably want to test your students' ability to solve problems. In that case, discuss how you construct problems for them to solve, what skills those problems are meant to evaluate, and the level of performance that you are seeking. As Ronald Myers, Associate Professor in Veterinary Pathology pointed out in his teaching portfolio: I have come to realize that ultimately students learn what we examine for. If we test for learning of facts, students will learn facts. If we test for problem solving, they will learn to be better problem solvers....My long-term goal is to learn more about and then to implement improved mechanisms for assessment of students, likely in the realm of ability-based or performance-based assessment. There are many resources for improving assessment and student evaluations in the CTE library.
4. Why?
Here is where you can be, if not grandiose, at least a bit grand. What, to you, are the great and wonderful rewards of teaching? Why is teaching important? How do you want to make the world or at least higher education better? When you are overworked and feel undervalued, to what ideals do you return in order to rejuvenate yourself and inspire your students? How do you want to make a difference in the lives of your students?Possible Teaching Philosophy Components
¥ the teacherÕs role & responsibilities
¥ studentsÕ role & responsibilities
¥ the balance of learning and use
¥ teaching and learning in general
¥ content (what it is youÕre teaching)
¥ meaningfulness (drawing on students ideas, interests and concerns)
¥ speaking to studentsÕ needs
¥ classroom dynamics and class atmosphere
¥ affective and emotional components
¥ evaluation (and placement testing?)
¥ being flexible (working within the needs and constraints of the institution, the students, and
your beliefs as a teacher)
¥ theory and practice
¥ the classroom as a learning environment for all
¥ learning styles
¥ teacher awareness, reflection, and development
¥ discipline
¥ rapport
¥ motivation
¥ ideal vs. reality (working within the constraints of the institution where you teach)
¥ reflective practice
¥ collaborating with other teachers (sharing and developing ideas)
¥ motivation
¥ ideal vs. reality (working within the constraints of the institution where you teach)
¥ reflective practice
¥ collaborating with other teachers (sharing and developing ideas)
Move students away from a fear of challenge and towards a savoring of challenge.
Learning is a process of self-overcoming. Empowerment of the individual.
Riddles are an amazing tool for this. Riddles are an unescapable challenge but one in which student have no fear of failure.
Physics is one big riddle.
What do my actions model for my students?
Does my classroom management foster this type of environment? -> love and logic
Does my grading policy reflect this belief? -> point based
Guided based inquiry ->
Labs
Tasks